Single Premium Life Insurance – Pros and Cons

Most of the time, when we purchase life insurance, we agree to make monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments. There are some whole life policies which can be paid off, usually over a period of 7 years or more. But another way of purchasing coverage has begun to get more attention lately. This simply involves making one large payment in the beginning. The single premium is set to fund the coverage for the rest of an insured person’s life.

One obvious advantage might be the guarantee that life insurance is taken care of without having to worry about paying any more bills. One obvious disadvantage, as you may have already guessed, is the fact that this first premium must be pretty large.

Who Considers SPLI?

The type of person who may consider this unusual way of paying for a life insurance policy would have a lump sum of cash they are sure they will not need to spend for the next few years. They will also want to leave money to their estate, and they want to turn the cash they have into a larger life insurance death benefit. This way they can be assured they will be able to leave money to their kids, grand kids, or a favorite charity..

Advantages of Single Premium Life

Set it and Forget it – You can make on premium payment, and be assured you have funded a lifetime policy.

Estate Building – Most of the time, the cash will buy a death benefit of several times the original premium amount. For example, let us say that a healthy 65 year old could turn $12,000 into a $100,000 death benefit to leave behind. That was just an example. Premiums will vary.

Cash Value – Since the one large lump sum fund coverage, the actual cash valued of the policy should grow very quickly. The policy may have enough cash value to be borrowed against or cashed in at some future point. The cash value may grow by a set interest rate, or it may grow my some market index, like the S&P 500. This will be specified in the particular policy you buy.

Policy Provisions – Policies may have an accelerated death benefit, or provisions for early surrender or using some of the face value while the insured person is still alive in special cases. These cases could include terminal illness or nursing home confinement. These functions can give you a policy which performs “double duty.”

Disadvantages of SPLI

This product is not for everybody. Look at some of the disadvantages to consider.

You Need The Money – You must have the lump sum payment. Of course, the premium will vary by the age and health of the insured person, the insurer, and the amount of coverage you buy. The premium is usually several thousand dollars. This must be money that is not needed for the next few years, or ever. If this is in question, you may be better off by buying a policy with multiple payments.

Early Surrender Charges or Fees – Here’s why you must use money you will not need to live on. Most policies do have early surrender charges or fees. If you do have to cash in the policy before this term, set in your individual policy, you will probably get back less than you put in. You can only benefit if you can wait until the date of fees or surrender charges has passed.

Tax Considerations – These type of policies, purchased with one payment, are considered to be Modified Endowment Contracts (MEC) by the IRS. They do not have all of the tax advantages or regular life insurance.

Example of SPLI

Let us say that a 65 year old retired teacher has a pension and savings which enable her to live comfortably. She also has $12,000 in cash from her own parent’s estate. She would like to turn this cash into a much larger estate she can split with her son and a favorite scholarship fund.

In this case, she is able to purchase a $100,000 single premium life policy. This works out well for her in a few ways. This policy has a provision for an accelerated death benefit in the cash of terminal illness or nursing home confinement, so she does not need to worry about purchasing another long term care policy.

Is Single Premium Life Right For You?

In order to make a good decision, it will help to figure out what you own retirement planning goals are. This product can be a good solution for some people.